How AI is boosting emergency care across England's ambulance services
19 Dec 2025

The South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is testing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to improve efficiency and free up clinicians' time.

The trial is being conducted at the organization's Emergency Operations Centres in Crawley and Medway.

The AI tool transcribes conversations between clinicians and patients into "structured medical notes," which are later approved by the clinician to save time on post-call note-taking.

AI tool aims to enhance patient focus
Technological support

Emma Webber, Clinical Operations Manager for Integrated Care at SECAmb, said the technology is meant to help staff focus more on patients and eliminate some of the time-consuming administrative processes.

A spokesperson for SECAmb told BBC that clinicians will continue taking notes during their consultations with patients while using this AI technology.

The goal is to ensure consistency in patient care.

AI tool developed by Tortus
Development details

The AI tool being tested by SECAmb has been developed by Tortus. It was first trialed by clinicians at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

According to the company's website, St George's University Hospitals, London Ambulance Service and University College London Hospitals are also using Tortus's technology.

Nick Roberts, SECAmb's Chief Digital Information Officer, said they are committed to trialing innovative technology for improving efficiency and patient care.

AI's role in transforming healthcare
Industry impact

Roberts noted that AI applications are already "changing the way we work across all industries, including healthcare."

He stressed the importance of understanding the opportunities this technology offers and how to use it safely for improving patient care.

The pilot project is expected to conclude by February 2026, after which SECAmb will consider how best to integrate such technology in the future.

AI tool undergoes rigorous testing
Quality assurance

Dr. Dominic Pimenta, CEO of Tortus, said their AI tool "undergoes rigorous testing" to mitigate errors.

He added that their models are continuously refined to address challenges like accents, background noise, and varying audio quality.

They have also integrated specialist hardware into telephone lines to ensure audio quality is preserved during conversations between clinicians and patients using this innovative technology.